Sudden Changes
by AubreenaGreen
Summary: A new marriage law is put in place, and Hermione finds herself with the worst person she could have imagined. Will they end up falling for each other in the end? Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I can only dream. Rated T, but that may change later, just in case. ;)
1. Chapter 1

Hermione sat on the bed in her flat, pondering what to wear. She hadn't been to the Burrow in two weeks, and she wanted to look somewhat nice. She was really looking forward to seeing Harry, Ron, and Ginny today. She hadn't had time to spend with them in awhile, what with all her work at the Ministry.

It had been almost a year since the Battle of Hogwarts. They were still mourning over the deaths of Fred, Moody, Lupin, and Tonks, but it was starting to get easier.

Hermione stared at her wardrobe for a moment longer, before pulling out a simple red dress, a black cardigan, a thin black scarf, and brown boots. She got dressed quickly, and added a dab of mascara. She pulled her hair back in a simple ponytail.

_Good enough_, she thought to herself before grabbing her purse and apparating to the Burrow.

She was greeted by a plethora of hugs, smiles, and friendly "Hello"s.

She looked around. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Percy, Ron, Ginny, and Harry were all there, along with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. She noticed, however, that George was missing.

_Not surprising_, she thought to herself. He was never here anymore. Not after Fred.

"Why don't we all have a seat, so we can start dinner," called Mrs. Weasley.

Everyone murmured in agreement before sitting in a chair. Hermione found herself in between Harry and Ginny.

While they ate their dinner of chicken and rice with mashed potatoes, Hermione conversed with Ginny, Harry, and Ron about their lives.

Hermione was really lucky that she and Ron were still friends. After her relationship with him went awry, they agreed to try and go back to normal. In a normal situation, their friendship would have pretty much been terminated, but they had been friends since they were eleven. There was no awkwardness now.

She learned that Harry and Ginny had finally set the date for their wedding. They were going to get married on Valentine's Day. Wow, was that cheesy! Nevertheless, she was happy for them.

Right as they were finishing up, and Mrs. Weasley was about to serve pie, there was a knock at the door. Mrs. Weasley opened the door to reveal Gerard Flannikey, the newly appointed head of the Department of Law Enforcement at the Ministry.

"Good evening, Gerard," Mr. Weasley called. "What can we do for you today?"

Flannikey smiled politely before speaking. "I bring news from the Ministry. During the Battle of Hogwarts, too much magical blood was spilled. Not only that, but the number of witches and wizards are decreasing as the number of squibs grow higher. A new law has been set in place: all witches and wizards between the ages of 18 and 30 who are not currently engaged or married will be matched with another witch or wizard. They will be required to become legally wed and produce a minimum of two magical children within a certain amount of time. There will be more details in a week's time. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or someone else in my department. All matches will be final. If you are engaged or married, please report that to us so there are no mistakes in the pairing. That will be all for tonight. Be prepared for more information in a week. Thank you, and have a nice night."

He smiled and closed the door, before apparating out with a "pop".

There were gasps all around while the news was sinking in.

Hermione's mind was racing. Who would she be paired with? Who would she have to be married to? Who would she be forced to raise children with? What if she was matched with someone who was 30? She was only 18! She was too young! She didn't know if she could wait a week for the information to come. She was too anxious.

Suddenly, she began to envy Harry and Ginny. They didn't have to go through any of this. Nor did Bill and Fleur. They were safe from this new law.

* * *

><p>A week had passed, and Hermione sat anxiously waiting on her bed. She had pulled her legs up to her head, and her chin rested in the crook formed by her knees, eyes closed.<p>

Suddenly, there was a pecking noise outside her window. She looked up to see a tawny-brown owl from the Ministry waiting expectantly on her windowsill, a letter resting in its beak.

Hermione quickly leaped up, and opened the window. She retrieved the letter, giving the owl a quick stroke before sending it off.

She was a bit hesitant about opening the letter. After waiting all week, it all seemed too real. This letter held her future.

Taking a deep breath, she tore the envelope open, pulling out the letter.

_To Hermione Jean Granger,_

_As you have heard, there is a marriage law being passed. This is not a punishment, it is merely to increase the magical population. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. You have been assigned a match, which will be shown later on in the letter. After today, you have six months to become legally wed. The deadline will be October 1st. After the wedding, you will have exactly 18 months to bear your first magical child. If a problem arises, and you give birth to a muggle or squib, or there is a miscarriage, we will grant an extra six months to bear the child. After the birth of your first magical child, you will be given another 18 months to produce your second magical child. If a problem occurs, the same rules stated will apply._

_There will be no change in whoever you are matched with. You must remain with them for a minimum of five years after marriage, or you will be sent to Azkaban for a minimum of six months. However, if you feel unsafe with your match, you may contact the Ministry, and an exception will be made upon inspection._

_Your match for this new law will be Draco Lucius Malfoy. _

_Please contact us with any comments or concerns._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Gerard Flannikey _

**What do you think so far? I will try to update at least once a week. R&R please! Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hermione's heart sank. She could not imagine anyone worse to be paired up with, except maybe his goonies, Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy at least had his own mind.

She had no idea when they would have to meet and talk about this. They _had _to talk about this. They were due to marry in six months.

Feeling she had no other option, she wrote him.

_Malfoy,_

_You must have gotten the letter, I presume. Since we obviously have to talk about this, I suggest we meet at The Three Broomsticks tomorrow at 5:00. Write back if inconvenient for you. Believe me when I say I hate this as much as you do._

_Hermione_

After rereading it twice, she apparated to the public owlery in Diagon Alley, for she did not have an owl of her own.

After paying the fee of two sickles, she attached her letter to a beautiful brown and white owl, and it flew off.

* * *

><p>By 4:00 the next day, Hermione had not heard back, so she assumed he would be coming.<p>

She figured she should start getting ready now, and try to get there early.

It was a little chilly, so she put on a loose brown sweater, blue jeans, and her favorite red beanie. She grabbed the boots that she had wore to the Burrow last week, and wrapped a light-colored scarf around her neck.

She added some mascara, and then figured she should head out.

She apparated to right outside The Three Broomsticks, and walked in. She scanned the room to make sure he wasn't here already, and then sat down at an empty table. She looked at her watch: 4:45. He'd be there soon.

She got up to order a butterbeer before sitting back at her table and waiting.

After five minutes, a scornful-looking blonde walked into the pub. When his gaze rested on her, his face became angrier. Nevertheless, he walked over to her table, taking the seat across from her.

"So what do you want to talk about, Granger?" he asked impatiently.

Hermione gave him one of her famous "Are you serious?" looks before saying, "I think you know what I want to talk about, Draco."

"Humor me," he said, scowling.

He was beginning to get on Hermione's nerves. "You can't pretend like this isn't happening," she started. He huffed. "You know as well as I do that the Ministry is going to force us to do this."

His scowl became larger. "This is just so unfair," he said. "Out of all the witches in London, I just HAVE to get paired you! I can't believe they're making me marry a _mudblood_!"

Hermione reached across the table and slapped him across the cheek.

"Hey!" he cried, his hand reaching up to clutch his face.

"Look," Hermione said impatiently. "I'm just as pissed off about this as you are, but this is happening, Malfoy! We can't pretend this is nothing!"

Draco glared at her. "You realize what this means, don't you?" he spat. "You're going to be having my children. We're going to be stuck with each other for FIVE YEARS!"

It was like he was taunting her. But it was the truth. "They never said we had to live together," Hermione pointed out. "We could just..." she gulped. "Get _it _over with, and we wouldn't even have to speak to each other."_  
><em>

He nodded. "Is that what you want?" he asked.

She angrily shook her head. "What I _want _is to not be forced into a marriage with such an insensitive prick. But you can't always get what you want, can you? Is this what _you _want?"

He shrugged and then scowled again. "This is so unfair," he whispered.

Hermione nodded. "So when do you want to do it?" she asked.

He looked up in alarm and disdain. "_What_?!" he cried.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh. "That's _not _what I meant! I was talking about getting married."

Draco grinned. "Oh," was all he said.

After a brief pause, Hermione asked again. "Well? When do you want to get married?"

"Oh yeah," he said. "_That."_

Hermione nodded. "On one hand, I want to just get it over with. On the other, I want all the time we can get before we have to... you know."

Malfoy agreed. "I don't want to do a big wedding. We should just sign the papers and not make it a big deal."

"I agree," she said. "I think we should plan on doing that in, say, three months. That should give us enough time to sort everything else out. We can always change it, anyways."

He nodded, and stood up. "So it's settled. Owl me when you want to discuss details."

Hermione nodded and stood up as well. Draco began to leave, but she stopped him.

"Draco," she said. He stopped and turned around, looking her in the eyes. "If we're going to be married and have children, I don't want to go on being enemies. We should deal with this in a civil manner."

He agreed and forced a smile. "Ok. Bye, Granger," he said with a small wave.

She waved back before finishing up her drink, and apparating home.

What a day.

**I know I said I would update every week, but I really just wanted to keep going. How should they fall in love? Should it be before or after they get married? Should they still end up getting married the way they just planned? At the moment, I'm kind of just winging this. I'm open to any suggestions, though I have a few ideas of my own. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!**


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione awoke with a start to a tapping noise on her window. She sat up frantically, only to realize that it was just Pig, Ron's owl, waiting on her windowsill.

She groggily stood up, brushing her tangled hair out of her face, and slowly maneuvered over to the window. She opened it, and Pig flew right on in, looking eager.

Hermione pried the letter out of Pig's mouth, and began to read.

_Hey Hermione,_

_Mum wants to know if you'd like to come over for dinner tonight, and we can talk about the matches and everything. By the way, the correct answer is yes. Mum'll probably throw a fit if you don't come. She's always complaining that she doesn't see you enough since you and Ron split._

_Please come over! It's a mad house!_

_Love you as always,_

_Ginny_

Hermione sighed with a smile before grabbing a piece of parchment and writing back.

_Ginny,_

_I'd love to come over. It's very quiet over here, what with just me and Crookshanks. I have SO much to tell you - you won't BELIEVE who I got matched with! I'll come over a little early, and we can talk._

_See you in a few hours,_

_Hermione_

Hermione stroked Pig a few times before handing him the letter and opening the window again so he could leave. She watched him fly until he was out of view.

* * *

><p>Hermione looked at her watch: 4:00. She should start to get ready so she could get to the Burrow early.<p>

She was feeling too lazy to dress up, so she just put on her favorite jeans and a dark purple sweater. She grabbed a brown scarf and some black and white tennis shoes. She quickly ran a brush through her tangled mat of hair before grabbing her bag and apparating out.

When she got there, Mrs. Weasley hadn't even begun to set up for dinner, and no one else was there.

Trying to remain unnoticed for the moment, Hermione quickly tiptoed upstairs to Ginny's room.

When Ginny saw her enter the room, her eyes lit up like a little kid's. Thankfully, she skipped all the boring small talk that Mrs. Weasley would have done, and got straight down to business.

"Show me the letter," she demanded.

Hermione obediently handed over the piece of parchment. She watched her scan the item, her eyes widening in surprise once she got to the end.

"You have to marry... Draco?!" she exclaimed.

Hermione nodded, biting her lip. She started to pace. "I don't know if I can do this! I mean, we have to stay together for at least FIVE YEARS!"

Ginny smirked before pointing out, "Not only that, but you have to... do the do with him at LEAST twice, assuming you get pregnant after just one time each."

Hermione looked down at her with pleading in her eyes. "That's not helping, Ginny!" she cried.

"I just can't believe you got _Draco_! I mean, out of ALL the wizards in London, what's the likelihood of that! I just can't imagine anyone worse to get!" she exclaimed.

Hermione began to laugh awkwardly. "I know, right? It's ridiculous!"

Ginny began to laugh, too, and soon, they were just sitting on her bed, laughing at Hermione's predicament.

After a few minutes, Hermione stopped. "How am I going to tell everyone? I'm being forced to marry the one person that Harry and Ron hate most!"

Ginny shrugged. "They'll get used to it. And if they don't, kill them," she said with a wink.

Hermione chuckled, before hearing Mrs. Weasley calling for dinner.

Ginny strutted out of the room, Hermione following nervously behind. She still hadn't decided how she was going to deliver the news that she was marrying everyone's least favorite Slytherin.

_I have something important to say to you all. Because of the new law, I am being forced to marry Draco Malfoy. I know it's hard to believe, and... And... *wipes tear from eye*_

No, that would sound stupid and fake. She could go for a more casual approach.

_Oh, by the way, I'm marrying Draco Malfoy. No big deal. By the way, the food tastes great!_

She sighed, and decided she would just wing it. What could go wrong?

**Keep reviewing as always! If my computer starts working, I'll try and have an update tomorrow or Monday. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

Hermione started down the stairs, pausing at the bottom step. She took a deep breath before continuing into the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley barely glanced at her when she said, "Oh good, you're already here," and practically shoved her over to the dining table.

Only she, Ginny, Ron, Mrs. Weasley, Mr. Weasley, and Charlie were here so far. She figured the others were due to arrive soon.

Ron nudged her. "So, who'd you get?" he pestered.

Hermione didn't look at him. "You'll see soon enough," she said stiffly.

Ron was about to speak again, but right then, Harry appeared. Ron quickly turned his attention to him.

Soon, everyone was here, even George, who had brought Angelina, his fiancee. Hermione noticed the dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days. Hermione wished she could've said something, but what do you say to someone who lost their best friend in the world?

Hermione was suddenly distracted by food. Mrs. Weasley had prepared beef casserole, salad, and rolls for dinner, and Hermione began to eat hungrily.

All the while, Harry kept pestering her about who she got matched with. Hermione kept saying she'd say later, and Ginny kept flashing her a knowing grin.

Once everyone had finished eating, Mrs. Weasley began to clean up.

"I think now is a good time to reveal who everyone got matched with, before we serve dessert," she said, taking a seat. "Charlie, dear, you first."

Charlie nodded. "Rosalind Minkey," he said. Hermione had never heard of her.

Percy followed him. "I was matched with Jessamyn Crowl," he said. Jessamyn Crowl was two years older than Hermione. She was average height, and had average looks. She didn't really stand out to Hermione, but she seemed like a somewhat good match for Percy.

Ron went next. "I... uh... well... I got Pansy Parkinson," he spluttered.

Hermione spat out her drink, earning an unfriendly glare from Ron. Still, she felt better. She wasn't the only one being forced to marry an undesirable Slytherin.

When everyone turned their attention to her, she realized it was her turn to reveal her match.

She forced a cough, her pathetic attempt at stalling.

"I... Well... I got..." she started.

"Go on, dear," Mrs. Weasley urged.

"Malfoy," she blurted out. She tried to regain her composure. "I was matched up with Draco Malfoy."

Ron fell off of his chair, and Harry had to clench his fists to stop himself from breaking anything.

"You're joking, right?" Harry said, not looking her in the eye.

She sighed. "I wish."

Mrs. Weasley shut everyone up before saying, "Well... that's very nice, dear. Perhaps... Perhaps you could invite him to dinner one day." When Ron snickered, she glared at him before addressing the rest of the table. "That goes for all of you. These people are joining our family. We want them to feel welcome."

"Do we?" Hermione muttered under her breath.

Apparently Mrs. Weasley heard her, because she gave her a stern glare. "Invite him!" she ordered before maneuvering into the kitchen to serve dessert.

* * *

><p>Hermione sat in her little flat, pondering how exactly to start this letter.<p>

_Hey,_

_So, I know you hate me, but do you want to have dinner with a family you hate even more? _

Wow, was this going to be difficult.

In the end, she decided on this:

_Draco,_

_I know you have strong feelings concerning the Weasley family, but Mrs. Weasley is requesting that you come to one of the dinners so she can get to know you, and make you feel like "part of the family". You don't actually have to come if you don't want to (and I assume you won't), but she made me ask. Let me know if, for whatever reason, you'd like to come. I believe that's all._

_I guess we'll talk later,_

_Hermione_

She apparated to the owlery, and delivered the letter after paying the fee.

Then she waited.

* * *

><p>The next day, she was in the middle of cleaning up the living room when she received an owl.<p>

_Hermione,_

_Believe me when I say I would detest coming for dinner. However, according to my mother, I would be delighted to come. She's also insisting that you come over, as she has never personally met you. You're going to be family, and the mother to her grandchildren, and blah blah blah. If you say no, I'll never hear the end of it, so if you wouldn't mind, you should come for dinner sometime. Fyi, Tuesday would be perfectly convenient for you. See you soon, I suppose. _

_Owl me when dinner at... the Weasley's would be convenient._

_Draco_

Wow, ok. Hermione certainly had not been expecting that. And apparently Tuesday was now convenient. Luckily, she didn't have any actual plans.

She grabbed a piece of parchment, and began to write back.

_Draco,_

_I would apparently love to come on Tuesday. If you're serious about coming for dinner, you could come tomorrow, I suppose. Let's meet at the Three Broomsticks at 4:30 tomorrow, and then we can just apparate together. Hope you're looking forward to seeing Harry and Ron ;). See you soon._

_Sincerely,_

_Hermione_

She handed the owl her letter, before sending it off.

She figured she should probably tell Mrs. Weasley that Draco was coming tomorrow, because wouldn't that be a surprise?

What was she getting herself into?!

**Keep it coming with those ideas! Thanks for reading! **


	5. Chapter 5

4:00

It was time to get ready. Hermione really didn't know what to wear. Should she dress nice? Should she dress casual? This wasn't a date or anything, she would NEVER date Malfoy, but she didn't want to look like a total slob or anything.

She would just go in the middle.

The dress that Hermione decided on was purple with three-quarter length sleeves. It was fitted at the waist, and the skirt fell a bit past her knees. It was covered in lace, and could work for either fancy or casual.

She slipped into some black flats, and went to the bathroom.

Hermione tried numerous different hairstyles, each one looking worse than the last. Eventually, she decided to leave her wavy hair down. She added some mascara, and decided that she was good to go.

She apparated outside the Three Broomsticks again, and was prepared to wait, but Draco was already there.

He wore a green button-down shirt, which was tucked into his slacks. He must have dressed like she did. Not exactly casual, but not dressed for a black-tie event, though he was certainly sporting his Slytherin colors.

When he saw her, he sighed and held out his arm. "Shall we?" he said unenthusiastically.

"That's the spirit!" Hermione chirped sarcastically, reaching out and tapping his nose. He instinctively jerked his head back with a scowl. Hermione grinned to herself before taking his arm.

They quickly arrived at the Burrow, but she noticed that Draco seemed nervous about going in.

"This feels weird," he said, beginning to pace.

Hermione opened the door, and pulled him in. "Oh, come ON!" she said, annoyed.

Suddenly, all eyes were on them, and Hermione blushed, embarrassed.

She tried to make eye contact with Harry and Ron, but they were too busy glaring at Malfoy. Then she realized that her arm was still linked with his, and she quickly jerked it free, looking at the ground.

Turning away from the others, she awkwardly sat down, Draco next to her.

"Is it always this awkward?" he whispered into her ear.

"What do you think?" she whispered back hastily.

He was about to say something more, but just then, Mrs. Weasley came in.

"Oh," she said when she saw them. "How... lovely of you to join us, Draco!" It was hard to miss the fake cheeriness in her voice.

She knew Molly was trying to make them feel less awkward, because she glanced behind her back, and Molly was glaring at the others.

Soon, everyone began to join the two of them at the dinner table. Everyone but Ginny completely ignored them, even Ron and Harry. Ginny didn't even glance towards Draco, however.

This had to have been the longest dinner of Hermione's life.

* * *

><p>It was the day after the dinner with the Weasleys, and Hermione was getting ready for what was soon to be another awkward dinner, just this time, it was with the Malfoys. Boy, was she not looking forward to this.<p>

And what the hell was she supposed to wear to this thing? She had to make a good impression on Narcissa, otherwise she'd make Hermione's life hell.

Hermione decided that her safest choice was to be fancier than she had been yesterday, but not so fancy that she was trying too hard.

She ended up wearing a medium-length purple dress that gripped her snugly at the waist, and flowed freely below.

She enchanted her hair to stay flatter than normal, to make herself look a bit classier, and added some mascara. Her shoes were black heels, but not the kinds that were impossible to walk in.

She hoped she looked classy enough, but not so much that she was trying too hard.

Taking a deep breath, she apparated right outside the Malfoy manor, as Draco told her she would not be able to apparate directly inside. That was fine with her. She'd feel even more awkward just popping in out of the blue.

As if on command, Draco opened the door, inviting her in, looking nervous. He was in a similar outfit as the night before, but he had a jacket on this time. When she was close enough, he linked his arm with his.

She looked at him questioningly. "Don't ask," he muttered, blushing slightly.

As he was leading her to the dining hall, he began instructing her on how to act. "Smile, be charming, try not to sound too smart, try not to sound too dumb, be polite, don't make jokes, talk only when you're spoken to, and most importantly, _don't _talk about the muggle world. Got it?"

She nodded. "So be boring," she said sarcastically.

"Pretty much," he responded.

Right before they entered the room, Draco stopped them.

"Big smiles!" he said with fake cheeriness.

Hermione took a deep breath, before smiling in the most charming way that she could, and they walked in.

**I think the whole next chapter is going to be just the dinner. Get excited! Sorry it took so long to update, by the way. Finals are next week, and I'm seriously stressing.**


	6. Chapter 6

Narcissa was dressed in a flowing green dress that swept the floor. Hermione began to tug on the end of her dress, fearing it was too short to be appropriate.

Lucius was dressed in a suit with a green tie.

Maybe she should have worn green...

As Draco was leading her to her seat, she caught her foot on a chair leg, and fell over. Her face ran crimson with embarrassment as she heaved herself back up. As far as first impressions go, she was not doing a great job.

Hermione was relieved when they made it to their seats.

Narcissa clapped her hands, and Hermione stared at the food that had appeared in awe. She had expected the Malfoys to dine on the souls of small children, not on chicken. On her plate, there was a chicken breast, mashed potatoes, and cooked cauliflower. Plain as the food was, Hermione wanted to dig in right away. She refrained from doing so, however, when she noticed that no one else had touched their food.

"So you're a mudblood," was the first thing she heard Draco's mother say.

Hermione glanced over at Draco, pleading him for an answer with her eyes.

He shrugged, gesturing with his eyebrows to his mother.

"Uh, yes, yes I am," was all she could muster to say.

Narcissa didn't respond, just pursing her lips. All of a sudden, everyone began closing their eyes and whispering a ritual that she could not hear. Hermione wasn't sure if she should close her eyes, too, so instead, she just sat there awkwardly.

"Let's begin," was the next thing Hermione heard, however, no one moved. She was surprised to find out that they were all staring at her expectantly.

Her eyes flickered over to Draco in desperation, and he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "The youngest takes the first bite."

Hermione nodded and cautiously picked up her fork, taking a scoop of mashed potatoes. But in her nervousness, her hand slipped and the potatoes went flying, hitting Lucius square in the eye.

"Sorry!" she squeaked, turning crimson. She glanced over at Draco, and was annoyed to see that he was laughing at her misfortune. However, when he caught his mother's eye, he stopped abruptly.

They ate for five minutes in awkward silence, before Hermione tried breaking the tension.

"It's," she started, her voice cracking. "It's a nice place you've got here."

Narcissa stared at her with an unreadable emotion. "I know," was all she said.

"Ok then..." she muttered to herself.

"So" Narcissa said. "When are you two getting married?"

Luckily, it was Draco that answered.

"Three months. We were planning on just signing the papers, and not having a large ceremony."

This seemed to anger his mother, for she slammed her fork onto the table. "Of _course_ you're having a large ceremony! This will be the only wedding you will ever have! You _will_ be having a large wedding, and I don't want to hear otherwise."

Draco looked as if he wanted to argue, but thought better of it.

Unfortunately, Hermione made the decision to try and reason with her. "But, Mrs. Malfoy, we don't want-"

"I don't give a_ damn_ what you want!" she shouted. "If I had my way, all of you mudbloods would be extinct. But now, my only son has been given the unfortunate task of marrying one of you lot. Nevertheless, this WILL be a special night for him! I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth! Do I make myself clear?"

By now, Narcissa was shaking with anger. Hermione gave a little nod.

"Now get out!" she shouted.

Hermione practically ran out the door, tears threatening to fall.

She waited for Draco to come running out, comforting her and telling her it was all going to be okay, but he never came. She quickly apparated to her little flat.

She collapsed on her bed and cried until she fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

**I apologize for such the long wait! I'm not going to waste time on excuses, but I promise this won't happen again!**

Hermione awoke the next morning to a slight chill and a headache. She glanced over to her window to see it wide open, the breeze flowing through it freely.

She sat up groggily and pushed the tangled hair out of her face, when she noticed a letter on her nightstand. She figured that whichever owl had dropped it off had just flown right through her stupidly-left-open window.

Hermione stretched her arm out to grab the letter, before plopping back down on her bed and opening it.

_Hermione,_

_We need to talk. Meet me by the Three Broomsticks tomorrow at 2:00._

_Draco_

If she was being honest, Hermione really did not want to speak with Draco right now; she was still quite shaken from the night before.

She glanced at her clock: _9:30_

Hermione supposed that she could relax at the Weasley's today, and just clear her head, which was currently throbbing painfully.

She quickly hopped in the shower and began to wash away all remnants of last night. She also hoped that the soothing lathering of her hair might lessen her headache, but it was to no avail.

Still, Hermione felt much more relaxed when she stepped out. Wrapping her hair in a towel, she began to get ready.

Knowing Mrs. Weasley would insist on feeding her, Hermione only ate a piece of toast with peach preserves for breakfast.

Hermione was _not _going to dress up today; she honestly wanted to just relax with Ginny. She opted for her black leggings and a comfortable blue t-shirt.

Quickly running a brush through her matted hair, Hermione disapparated with a pop, landing right in front of the Burrow. With a big yawn, she pushed open the creaky door.

Inside, there were rags flying and sponges scrubbing, but what caught Hermione's eye was Ginny's feet sticking out from the table she was underneath, scrubbing, that were topped off with bright red slippers.

Squealing in delight, Hermione kicked off her shoes and grabbed the slippers, slipping them on her feet. Laughing, she clicked her heels together. "There's no place like home! There's no place like home! There's no place like home!" she exclaimed.

Ginny slid out from under the table, a look of utter confusion plastered on her ridiculously freckled face.

"Muggle movie," she explained to her friend.

Ginny nodded before extending a hand out to her. "Slippers," she instructed blatantly.

After handing them over, Ginny sat on the couch, Hermione following.

"So, what's up?" Ginny asked. "Wasn't your dinner with the _Malfoys _last night?"

"Unfortunately," Hermione replied solemnly. When Ginny raised an eyebrow, Hermione began to elaborate. "Oh, Ginny, it was _awful_!"

After retelling the events of the previous night, Ginny engulfed her in a hug. Hermione accepted without hesitance, but Ginny broke away after just a few seconds, an eager look on her face.

"Guess what!" she exclaimed excitedly. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "Harry and I are getting married in two weeks!"

Hermione's eyes widened, and she hugged her friend. "Ginny, that's wonderful!"

"I know!" Ginny responded. "We're making the announcement at dinner tonight. We were going to invite you to come, but, seeing as you're already here... Oh, Hermione, I'm so nervous! I still have to find a dress, make arrangements, send announcements-"

"You'll be fine," Hermione reassured her friend, who looked like she was on the verge of hyperventilating.

"Hermione, will you be my maid of honor?" Ginny blurted out suddenly.

"I'd love to, Ginny!" Hermione cried excitedly. "I can't believe it! Thank you!" She engulfed her friend in a hug.

"Oh, and..." Ginny started after pulling away, biting her lip.

"What is it?" Hermione questioned.

"I'm pregnant!" she whispered excitedly.

"Oh my _god, _Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed in disbelief. "How far along are you?"

"Five weeks! Oh Hermione, I'm so worried that by the time the wedding comes, I'll be _huge_!"

"Ginny," she started with a matter-of-fact tone. "At your size, I'd be utterly shocked if you even started showing by then."

Ginny let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. Harry and I decided to tell them after the wedding, because... you know..."

Hermione nodded and hugged her friend again. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Oh," Ginny said. "I almost forgot. Harry said it was ok if Draco wanted to come to the ceremony with you, as your date or something."

Hermione shifted in her seat uncomfortably. "I don't know about that... I don't really know where we stand after last night..."

Ginny nudged her bushy-haired friend. "You're overreacting. It'll all blow over, don't worry."

"I hope," Hermione replied.

* * *

><p>The Weasley family was ecstatic at Ginny and Harry's big announcement, and after dinner, Hermione tried to excuse herself to go home. Ginny, however, had other ideas.<p>

"Oh, Hermione, you HAVE to stay!" she pleaded, Hermione finally caving.

Ginny squealed before ushering her upstairs for what she called a "girl's night", or in this case, spilling all the details regarding Draco and her marriage, plus some unwanted information regarding Ginny's sex life.

"So, are you excited?" Ginny prompted as they curled up on her bed.

"For?" Hermione asked mindlessly.

"Your wedding, dummy! Are you excited?"

Hermione looked at her friend incredulously. "Are you serious?" she starting. "I'm absolutely dreading it. I just can't imagine..."

"Doing the do with Draco?" Ginny finished, earning a face full of pillow. "Pleh," she said, pushing Hermione away. "It's true, though. Have you not even thought about it? You know it's going to have to happen eventually."

"I _know_, Ginny," Hermione stressed. "I just... I don't want to even have to consider that right now. Oh Ginny, I'm scared! Of all people, why did I have to get matched with _him_?"

Ginny didn't respond, but merely hugged her bushy-haired friend as she began sobbing into her shoulder. "It'll all be okay," she cooed, rubbing Hermione's back in a soothing motion. "He's not so bad." Hermione knew she was just saying that to make her feel better, but she supposed she still needed it.

After that, Ginny made sure to avoid the topic of Draco and the marriage, until Hermione mentioned that she was meeting him tomorrow.

"Like a date?!" she squealed excitedly.

"No," Hermione responded. "He just wants to talk about yest-"

"We need to find you something to wear. I'm going to dress you. You are going to be my living doll," Ginny said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Ginny, no, it's not a da-" Hermione protested.

"What should we do with your hair? I'm thinking an updo of some sort," Ginny continued.

Hermione sighed and gave up as her friend rambled on. She didn't have much of a choice at this point, just as long as she wasn't forced to wear heels.

* * *

><p>"I feel like I'm going to prom," Hermione grumbled as Ginny cast spell after spell on her hair.<p>

Hermione knew that she probably wasn't going to wear whatever it was that Ginny had put her in, so she was merely humoring her friend.

Finally Ginny was done, and Hermione was allowed to look.

Her hair was pulled back with a series of braids that intertwined with each other, forming a knot at the back of her head, the rest of her curls flowing freely after that. Her face was adorned with light makeup that brought out her features. But it was the dress that Hermione was staring at in awe. It was red with capped sleeves, with a sweetheart neckline, and gathered at the waist with a silver embroidery on the side. It was gorgeous.

"Oh, Ginny. This dress is gorgeous!" Hermione cried.

Ginny grinned smugly. "I know," was all she replied with.

"I don't think I'm going to wear it for today, but it is truly beautiful," Hermione told her with a twirl.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Do you want it? I got it at a Christmas gift exchange, but I've never worn it. Not my style."

Hermione shuffled her feet. "I don't know... are you sure?"

"Take it," Ginny told her. "It was made for you."

"Oh Ginny, thank you!" Hermione exclaimed, embracing her friend.

"No problem, but what are you going to wear?" Ginny pushed.

Hermione sighed. "For the last time, _it's not a date. _He just wants to talk, presumably about Tuesday. It's not romantic in any way."

Ginny sighed. "_Fine_! But I'm still not letting you out in jeans or anything."

_11:30_

Two and a half hours to go. Two and a half hours to plan out what the bloody hell she was going to say to him.

Two and a half hours to figure everything out.


End file.
